Issue 7

June 2011

Combat Logistics Battalion 8

The Club 8 Chronicle

U S M C

From the Battalion Commander

MARINE & FAMILY SEVICES CLB 8 Team,

As another month passes by, we find ourselves only about a month away from redeployment. Despite this, your Marines and Sailors remain foLINKS 451-1299 cused on the mission at hand and will continue to CREDO 450-1668 maintain that focus until our Transfer of Authority New Parent Supwith CLB 6 in August. port-449-9501 Your Marines and Sailors continue to imChildren Youth & press me with their work ethic and their tireless Teen 449-9552 devotion to mission accomplishment. Though the Counseling Serend of the deployment is near, the pace of operavices451-2864 tions has not let up. In fact, it has increased in recent weeks. Support Companys Landing SupFRO 450-6301 A CLB 8 convoy conducts a convoy to Combat Outpost Shukvani in port Platoon is now efficiently operating seven Helmand Province in order to provide needed support to the 33rd airfields a huge undertaking for one platoon. I N S I D E T H I S Georgian Battalion. I S S U E : Engineer Company has completed construction projects at a number of patrol bases across the CLB 8 CO 1 Area of Operations (AO), improving defenses, as well as living conditions for our infantry brethren. CLB 8 SgtMaj 2 The transportation platoons in Security Company continue to provide much needed support and exeChaplain 2 cute difficult last minute recovery missions. We certainly could not keep pace with our operations if it were not for the dedicated maintenance Marines, fixing equipment around the clock. TransportaHeadquarters 3 tion Support Company has been busier than ever, traveling thousands of miles during the month of June in order to support an increased operations tempo in the AO. The Embedded Partnering Team Support 3 continues to develop their relationship with their Afghanistan National Army counterparts, completTS 4 ing a number of joint missions. Numerous Marines and Sailors from Headquarters Company, in addition to providing around the clock support for CLB 8 personnel outside the wire, have filled Engineer 4 much needed roles on convoys in order to help the Battalion maintain a constant flow of support. Amazingly, your Marines and Sailors have not let up and continue remain vigilant. EPT 5 As we approach our dates of redeployment, Id like to pass on a few reminders. First of all, there will be several events for family members of CLB 8 Marines and Sailors that serve to help you Family 8 Readiness through the redeployment process. There will be Return and Reunion Briefs for spouses, a Kids Return and Reunion workshop, as well as a banner painting party. Ensure you take advantage of these opportunities! Details can be found inside this issue of the newsletter. Additionally, please continue to practice proper Operational Security (OPSEC) procedures as you discuss redeployment information over the phone, through email, and on social networking sites. More information about OPSEC is provided within this issue of the newsletter. We are currently on schedule with our redeployment. We have two advance party flights; one of which will leave in mid-July, with the other following about a week later. The rest of the battalion is due to depart Afghanistan in mid-August. Exact dates and times are hard to predict and often change at the last moment, so please be flexible. As we get closer to redeployment, we will make sure to communicate up-to-date flight information to you through Mr. Drake, the Family Readiness Officer. Please note that we will be losing the Mass Communication Tool at the end of July please see the last page of the newsletter for more information. As always, our thoughts and prayers are with our family and friends back in the Maintenance Marines have proven to be CLB United States, and I ask that you keep the Marines and Sailors of CLB 8 in yours. Thank 8s unsung heroes as they work around the you for being such an important and steadfast asset to the CLB 8 Team throughout the clock to keep Marines in the fight. From left: LCpl Landry, Cpl Fourd, and Cpl Schell from deployment! Supt Company. Semper Fidelis, LtCol McWilliams

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CLB 8 Sergeant Major

Hello family members and friends, It gives me great pleasure to announce we have roughly five weeks remaining on our deployment. When I say our deployment that includes spouses, kids, family members, and friends of the Marines and Sailors of CLB8 that have shared this hardship of being away from loved ones. The Marines and Sailors continue to push, they continue to make a difference in the fight against terrorism, they continue to be professionals, they continue to work in 100+ degree weather without complaint, and most importantly they continue to remain focused as the light at the end of the tunnel brightens. I commend them for not taking their packs off. The Marines and Sailors realize our mission is not complete until were all home with our loved ones, and that it is only then that we can relax. I understand the excitement of knowing that the deployment is near an end and the effects it may have on the task at hand. I just ask for your help in keeping our Marines and Sailors focused on the mission because as always, you have been the key ingredient of our success. I think everyone has done an excellent job of keeping the lines of communication open during this period. I cannot stress enough the role you have played in our deployment and how it has helped us here in Afghanistan. I owe you many thanks for your support. As always, please contact our Family Readiness Officer MR. Henry Drake if you have concerns or issues. Again, thanks for your support. Please contact our Family Readiness Officer Mr. Drake if you have questions or concerns. Semper Fidelis! SgtMaj Crutcher

Chaplains Corner
CLB 8 is on Facebook! Search Combat Logistics Battalion 8 or go to www.facebook.com/pages/ Comb at-Logistics-Battalion8/157215094313968. Become a fan of CLB 8 on Facebook and become better informed on Battalion and family readiness issues! Its hard to believe that weve been here over four months and are starting to plan our redeployment! This announcement serves as a notice that mail will be shut off on July 31st, 2011. This means that any CLB 8 deployed mail in the postal system after that date will be re-routed to Camp Lejeune. Please aim to send your last letters and packages by mid-July to avoid the possibility of your package being rerouted or possibly lost in the system!
Hello Family and Friends. The heat continues to rise. In spite of the heat several exciting aspects have happened this month one in particular was the class offered for our new dads. During this deployment several Marines and Sailors have become new dads. The new dads participated in a class to prepare them for this new and exciting journey. Each participant learned the meaning of fatherhood. The following topics were covered: Father/Child Bond Caring for Your Child Husband/Wife Relationship Finances/Resources Panel Discussion One memorable part of the class was the caring for your child portion. A Marine over fed his doll and was surprised when the doll wet right through the diaper and onto his uniform. This is one example of what the Marines and Sailors can expect when caring for their babies. In closing, I would like to congratulate all of our new dads and pray Gods peace be with you. May God continue to bless you, Chaplain Barry

Mail Announcement!

Above: Marines from CLB 8 took part in a New Dads class that was held recently. There are a number of new dads within CLB 8, and this proved to be a great opportunity for them. Here they are pictured with their babies.

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H e a d q u a r t e r s
Greetings, families of H&S Marines and Sailors, We have crossed to within two months of coming home, and I can promise you the growing excitement of returning to our loved ones is felt throughout the company. A common conversation for the Marines and Sailors to have is about is the first thing they look forward to doing when they arrive stateside. Usually, it involves an alcoholic beverage and it will be well deserved! Despite the proximity to our redeployment, the Marines and Sailors continue to work hard. The call of home is a tempting distraction, but I can say with confidence that all remain focused on our mission with a determination that reveals their admirable professionalism. It is easy to become somewhat complacent in the last month, but with all the projects that we have going, we cant afford to take a break just yet! In late July, we

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logistics oriented billets that are nonetheless essential to the health and well -being of Marines and Sailors. For the S-4, this means having time consuming collateral responsibilities such as hazardous material handling, safety, facilities, and billeting. As a rule of thumb, if you want to remember what falls under logistics, you just have to remember the four bs: beans, bullets, band aids, and bus where bus represents all vehicular transportation. The logistics shop is something of the backbone of all supportit is responsible for providing chow, medical needs, ammo, and transportation to and from a location. In this case, we have the very large movement coming up of getting our battalion back home. The planning for this is handled on a battalion-wide scale, but the main muscle movements fall onto the S-4 Marines to get done. Heading the S-4 shop is 1stLt (Continued on page 6)

plan to move the entire battalion into newly constructed hard-shelter buildings. As you can imagine, this will be no easy feat. It will demand the full attention and careful preparation of all the Marines, especially in the staff sections. They will be uprooting their entire work spaces in a matter of 72 hours! One of the sections critical to getting us home is the S-4, or logistics section. S-4 is somewhat of a catch-all, responsible for many of the unheralded

Marines and a Sailor from Headquarters Company prepare to fly a flag in honor of a family member back in the US.

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To the families and friends of Support Company, Another month has passed and it will not be long until the return home of your Marines. The temperature continues to rise and your Marines continue to provide the critical support needed by supported units to conduct combat operations. The Marines efforts and work continue to impress their leadership and surpass all expectations. Landing Support Platoon and Heavy Equipment Platoon continued airfield operations throughout the month, efficiently running seven total airfields, an astounding number for one platoon. These extraordinarily professional and capable Marines aided in the transportation and movement of millions of pounds of cargo and thousands of personnel throughout the Area of Operations. They continue to earn praises from all who fly through their airfields, including VIPs and senior leadership from all branches of the military and U.S. Government. Security Platoon continued convoy

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tional platoons mission effective and able to conduct their convoy operations. Their continued maintenance on Motor Transport assets brought the battalions readiness to extremely high and extremely impressive levels, a feat that did not go unnoticed by battalion and senior leadership alike. In addition, they sent out numerous support teams to outlying bases, providing maintenance on everything from trucks and generators to heavy equipment. Their efforts in keeping the bases operational and providing support to operations at the Landing Support Platoon airfields was critical to continued operations. Quiet professionals and operating behind the scenes, their efforts have impacted operations throughout the Area of Operations. Motor Transport Platoon has continued to impress the leadership at all levels with their drive and positive attitude. During the month, they continued to run back-to-back missions to support all units operating east of the (Continued on page 6)

operations, providing vast levels of responsiveness and flexibility to the battalion. Whether Immediate Response Team missions or combat logistics patrols, they successfully provided the support needed to units conducting combat operations. This included the backhaul of battle damaged gear and the resupply of fuel, food and water, and building supplies. Their efforts throughout the month were exemplary, providing much needed to support to countless units. Maintenance Section continued their tireless efforts to keep the opera-

Motor Transport Platoon conducts a convoy in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

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Friends and Families of Transportation Support Company, We are approaching roughly the five month mark since we started out back in January and I again would like to give my thanks to all the spouses and families who have done so much to support the Company. Your patience and sacrifices have directly enabled your Marine or Sailor to better focus on this vital mission. I am extremely proud to be a part of this Company and honored to serve alongside your Marines and Sailors. As we move into Summer we are closer to returning home, and hopefully that means some cooler weather for us here. Temperatures in Helmand are still in the mid 100s and rising. Regardless, the Company continues to grind on with its mission. Almost every day the Company has at least one platoon on the move with a mission that lasts for approximately 4-6 days. Usually, one platoon

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is on the road while the other two are conducting maintenance on their vehicles or loading their vehicles for the next combat logistics patrol. The terrain and driving conditions often are more of a threat than the insurgents with the blowing dust and the steep slopes. After five months of these challenges, our drivers have taken a seemingly routine activity to a new skill level. Recently, the Battalion received a unique mission of recov-

Curious Afghan children observe a TS convoy as it passes by.

ering a downed French fighter jet. TS Company Marines contributed to the overall success by hauling the downed jet on the back of one of our large trailers from the crash site back to Camp Leatherneck. The mission was only able to be accomplished because of the great team effort from across the Battalion. Given the challenging terrain and our heavy loads, vehicles are frequently getting stuck in deep sand or have difficulty getting up some of the steep inclines. Our Bump Truck Marines make a living out of keeping the convoys rolling. At times, these Marines pull an entire convoy up a hill or make challenging recoveries look simple. The Marines of each platoon always are highly appreciated whenever the Bump Truck arrives on site. Furthermore, the Company completed a preliminary Marine Corps Logistics Chain Analysis Team In(Continued on page 7)

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Greetings from Engineer Company! With both summer and operations still in full swing, the month of June has sped by, and Independence Day and July are just about upon us. Although our Fourth of July celebration will not resemble most of yours, our battalion is planning to ensure our hard working personnel get to celebrate our nations independence as best we can. Both of Engineer Companys operational platoons will be back for a little rest between missions; so we will observe the holiday with most of our company together. We can look forward to a special holiday meal and some camaraderie here aboard Camp Leatherneck. Until that early July respite, 1st nd and 2 Platoons continue the difficult and critical mission of supporting our Marine infantry units and Coalition partners spread throughout Helmand Province. In the course of our mission, Engineer Company Marines have

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tion to already strenuous work, our capable Corpsmen have performed admirably in keeping our men and women cared for and healthy. The Engineer Company team has launched into the latter half of this deployment with the same amazing momentum that weve always had, and there is no intention of slowing down until our mission is complete and were rejoined with you back at home. Im sure that you all share the pride that we feel in all of our Marines and Sailors. If youre still planning on sending letters or packages to your Marine or Sailor, you will want to do it by midJuly since we will no longer receive mail at our deployed address as of July 31st. Hearty congratulations go to the following Marines: June Promotions:

constructed hundreds of structures and moved mountains of earth constructing everything from protective bunkers and fighting positions to concertina wire surrounded base perimeters. Both of our operational platoons engage every task with skill and determination while our Headquarters Platoon personnel provide the flexible and responsive support to keep our Marines as well as the infantry at 100%. And although extreme heat and rough landscapes add constant fric-

Engineer Company Marines lay down tent decking during a recent build.

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E m b e d d e d Pa r t n e r i n g T e a m ( E P T )
The Ninja Stars have arrived and the hunt is on. We are breaking into the windy season out here, also known as the 120 days of wind. The summer continues to heat up during the day but the nights are really when you get to enjoy the weather. As you lay out under the stars in the desert, the wind has a tendency to settle down; most of our nights are quite nice and peaceful. The guys are beginning to get anxious after rolling past the halfway point but it has not stopped them from continuing to do great things. The Marines and Sailors on this team have truly made this an unforgettable deployment. It has been a great month and we look forward to roasting some hot dogs and most likely kabobs come the 4th of July. We started the month off by letting CREEPY Actual (Major Mills) take over as the Battalion Executive Officer. Not a single member of the team was excited to see him go but we all understand the reasoning behind the change sometimes Majors have to do Major things. The teams hard work paid off again when we were able to graduate 72 more Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldiers for the Kandak in the following classes; Basic Driving, Radio Operator, Wrecker Operator, Combat Life Saver and Weapons. It is a really good feeling to see the soldiers take so much pride in receiving a certificate or license recognizing their own hard work. This is the third graduation we have held for teams courses. These courses continue to develop as the ANA are beginning to take the reins, which is exactly where we want them to be as we look to turnover with the incoming team from CLB 6 in late July. Halfway through the month we have already had the opportunity to see two brand new places. Two of the Kandaks we support have relocated to Dehmazong and Washer. The guys really enjoy going to new places and seeing new areas within the country. This country offers multiple types of desert

sandy desert, rocky desert, Moondust desert; Im covered in desert and desert desert. The first trip was smooth and easy until our Afghan counterparts started to boil water for their chi while driving. You wont see Afghans talking on cell phones while they drive but you will see some other crazy stuff Outside of that we were even able to track down a friendly little camel spider to say Hello to Corporal Cessna. I wont tell anybody if you wont, but he is terrified of spiders. Our second trip was to the west of Delaram to Dehmazong. The Marines and ANA we supported have a very unique combat outpost up on a plateau that over looks the area they support. Once again, it was new place for the guys to see and will offer more and more stories to share as they are welcomed home in August. The infamous Ice Cream Bet! This has become a staple of the teams shenanigans. Everyone on the team is quite competitive and there is really only one thing it comes down too who was wrong and what do they want on their ice cream. The stakes were raised on LCpl Calhoun to a five bowl bet unfortunately the Ice Cream Bet Commissioner did not side in his favor. Currently the Lieutenant owes Doc Bradley two bowls after a double or nothing bet. These bets stem from anything; when will we arrive somewhere, if you can throw multiple ninja stars into the wall at the same time it is a serious matter. Dont worry - the Fly Kill of Day is still in full effect. It is with great pleasure to congratulate Corporal Love and his wife, Carrie, on the healthy birth of a little boy - Lucas Love. He was born on 21 June while we were undergoing our mission to Musa Qaleh. The news was shared with Corporal Love while we executed a

short halt along the way it was a very exciting moment and definitely took him by surprise that the Lieutenant was knocking on his door to pass the wonderful news. He was able to contact his wife and see pictures upon our arrival. Our Musa Qaleh trip this month was short and sweet. The guys were pushed hard to get there on a short timeline in an effort to assist a fellow unit who had a time sensitive recovery along the way. We were able to embed another unit within our convoy to transport a piece for a CH-53 Helicopter that needed to become operational as soon as possible. The guys were able to take a load off at our destination for a day and enjoy a movie or two under the shade of the cammie netting. CARETAKER Actual (CLB-8 Supply Officer 1stLt Giles) was able to get away from the office and joined us for our movement. All in all, our counterparts and the guys did a fantastic job while being pushed very hard they definitely received a much deserved day off upon return to Delaram to catch up on rest. As we continue to work hard out here each day, we make the best of every situation and are sure to enjoy ourselves. It is easy to brag about the Marines and Sailors of this team because of how well they continue to do on a daily basis and everything they have done with their counterparts until now. Each and every one of us looks forward to seeing you in August. Thank you for continuing to keep us in our thoughts and prayers. Semper Fidelis, First Lieutenant Andrew Booth
Marines with the EPT pose next to their ANA counterparts after a ceremony at FOB Delaram, Afghanistan, June 5, 2011. Fifty-one soldiers graduated from courses focusing on specific trades.

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(Supt Co, continued from page 3) Helmand River. Supporting numerous battalions, they transported any supplies needed for operations, including fuel, food and water. Their professionalism and dedication to mission accomplishment earned them a great deal of respect from supported units who saw them operating in the area over and over again. They also provided critical resupply to Georgian forces operating in the Area of Operations, allowing them to continue operations with their resupply and backhaul of damaged equipment. This platoon has been highly successful in its operations, earning them the thanks and respect of units they support and their leadership alike. Support Companys Marines continue to surpass all expectations and astound their leadership with their devotion and work ethic. Providing support whenever possible and consistently flexible to change, they succeed at any mission tasked to them. The battalion and company leadership cannot be more proud of these Marines and their effort. As the deployment starts to wind down, continue to support your Marines with letters and e-mails as they continue their tireless efforts. We are proud of your Marines and their accomplishments and thank you for supporting them throughout this deployment. God Bless and Semper Fidelis Captain Sean Day, Company Commander 1stSgt Ramiro Olmos, Company First Sergeant

(HQ Co, continued from page 3) Gasper. His chief was SSgt McElroy, who was unfortunately sent home due to a training accident. Sgt Krull has moved up in his absence, filling the role of the S-4 Chief- a billet usually reserved for Staff Non-Commissioned Officers. Sgt Krull also manages hazardous materials (hazmat), safety, and the ammunition program. The newly promoted Sgt Hildebrandt is Sgt Krulls right-hand man. Sgt Hildebrandt is absolutely critical to our redeployment. He is responsible for tracking all incoming and outgoing flight information, and tracking all the equipment and personnel slated to go on those flights. LCpl Snow aids in all this embarkation information and is responsible for electronically documenting all this information line by line for the movements. He is also responsible for the battalion flag flying program. He works beside LCpl Tillery, responsible for all hazmat related work and cleanup at the Battalions Hazardous Waste Accumulation Point. LCpl Young and Cpl Mitchell, two food service Marines whose assistance has greatly helped the S-4 and the company as a whole have both embraced their roles as honorary S-4 Marines. LCpl Young is the Ammo

Technician Assistant, aiding with the daunting task of distributing ammunition to all the companies. Cpl Mitchell helps out with hazmat, and recently returned from a forward operating base (FOB) where she was critical in the building and planning of a Class I (Food) storage area to better protect and extend the life of food at this FOB. In the armory, SSgt Rowland is the battalions Armory Chief, supervising all the armory custodians and providing additional support to the S-4 when needed. Under him is Sgt Nieznajomski, our ammunition technician who provides 24/7 support for all ammunition requirements in the entire battalion; Cpl Brown, the H&S optic technician, battalion Optics Chief, Operations Chief for the armory, and H&S Armory Chief; and LCpl Russell, the H&S Company Armorer and custodian as well as the Tool Control NCO. Congratulations to Cpl Yingling for his meritorious promotion to Corporal and to the all Corpsmen for achieving their Fleet Marine Force pins! As always, if you need to contact me, please dont hesitate to e-mail me at kathleen.downs@afg.usmc.mil or my First Sergeant at jacqueline.henderson@afg.usmc.mil

Marines from Motor Transport Platoon, Supt Co, conduct a convoy in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

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OPSEC: What can you do?

From www.usmc.mil There are many countries and organizations that would like to harm Americans and degrade U.S. influence in the world. It is possible and not unprecedented for spouses and family members of U.S. military personnel to be targeted for intelligence collection. This is true in the United States and especially true overseas! What can you do?

1. BE ALERT

Foreign governments and organizations can collect significant amounts of useful information by using spies. A foreign agent may use a variety of approaches to befriend someone and get sensitive information. This sensitive information can be critical to the success of a terrorist or spy, and consequently deadly to Americans.

2. BE CAREFUL

In order to ensure we communicate effectively with the families on our redeployment, we will push out information concerning your Marine or Sailor and their anticipated arrival date back in Camp Lejeune as soon as we have the information. However, please understand that we cannot discuss details of flight numbers, exact dates/ times, and exact locations of layovers en route to Camp Lejeune. What you will see on your end is an anticipated arrival time at Camp Lejeune, which will allow you to make the appropriate arrangements to be reunited with your loved one. Please understand that we will provide as much information as we can as we prepare for redeployment, but understand that there are certain details that must remain protected for the safety of your Marines and Sailors!

There may be times when your spouse cannot talk about the specifics of his or her job. It is very important to conceal and protect certain information such as flight schedules, ship movements, temporary duty locations and installation activities, just to name a few. Something as simple as a phone discussion concerning where your spouse is going on temporary duty or deploying to can be very useful to U.S. adversaries.

3. PROTECTING CRITICAL INFORMATION

(TS Co, continued from page 4) spection. This challenging inspection took place in the midst of operations and demonstrated the Marines dynamic flexibility and attention to detail. Although challenging, the Marines achieved great scores. The Company was determined to have one of the best run maintenance programs in the Battalion. Thanks to all of your Marines, the next company after us can rest assured of taking over a highly organized maintenance program. In the midst of all this work, the Company sent another two Marines to attend the 2d MLGs Corporals Course at Camp Leatherneck. This great experience bolstered the professionalism of our most junior leaders. Additionally, HM3 Butler was named Sailor of the Month and Cpl Nagle was named Noncommissioned Officer of the Month. Time has bestowed another year of wisdom on the following Marines who we would like to wish a Happy Birthday to: Cpl Kenneth Knight LCpl Joseph Pederson Cpl Jacob Lewis LCpl Jesse Roberts Cpl Francis Miller LCpl Ryan Rooks Cpl Austin Rouse LCpl Megan Wagner LCpl Simone Bowleg LCpl Robert Scott LCpl Joe Burch Also congratulations to Corporal Austin Rouse and Corporal Dusty Smith for their promotions during the months of June. With that, everyday I am proud and humbled for the opportunity to serve with these fine Marines and Sailors. They remain ready and capable to complete current and future operations in support of our Nations war on terror. Your loved ones are keeping the faith and making history every day. Semper Fidelis, Captain Jarrad Caola First Sergeant Steven Battista

Even though this information may not be secret, it is what the Department of Defense calls "critical information." Critical information deals with specific facts about military intentions, capabilities, operations or activities. If an adversary knew this detailed information, U.S. mission accomplishment and personnel safety could be jeopardized. It must be protected to ensure an adversary doesn't gain a significant advantage. By being a member of the military family, you will often know some bits of critical information. Do not discuss them outside of your immediate family and especially not over the telephone.

CLB 8 Family and Friends: What does this mean to you? In recent weeks, there have been concerns that discussing what month we will be coming home is an Operational Security (OPSEC) Violation. Please know that this is not the case! As we start the redeployment process, discussing information such as the Advanced Partys arrival in mid- to late July or the main bodys arrival in mid-August is not a violation of OPSEC. However, revealing detailed information such as exact flight numbers, exact dates and times, and locations of layovers prior to the execution of a flight would be an OPSEC concern.

(Eng Co, continued from page 4) From Lance Corporal to Corporal: Corporal David P. Veneziani and Corporal Quante J. Givens Special recognition goes to Lance Corporal Travis M. Smith who earned his promotion to Lance Corporal meritoriously! As always, Master Sergeant Medina and I send special thanks to the families and friends of our Marines and Sailors. Your well-wishes, prayers and many sacrifices provide us with invaluable support, and we look forward to the quickly approaching time when we can personally express our gratitude. Semper Fidelis, Captain Seth E. Dewey Seth.dewey@afg.usmc.mil Master Sergeant Mark C. Medina Mark.medina2@afg.usmc.mil

Hello CLB 8 Family and Friends, Well this deployment is soon coming to a end and I know everyone is getting excited for their return!! The Battalion is working on getting the flight dates and once I have them I'll send it out to everyone. I want to give everyone a heads up that we will be losing the Mass Communication Tool (MCT) on 30 July 2011. What this means is I can no longer send Mass Communication e-mails and phone messages after 30 July, the only method I have to contact you now is though my personal e-mail. So, during the month of July I will be sending out e-mails and phone messages though the MCT to ensure all your information is updated and then I will down load all the contact Info into a spread sheet in my data base. This will allow me to send e-mails though my personal e-mail, and when necessary, make personal phone calls to family members as needed. CLB 8 will be hosting a spouses Return & Reunion Workshop along with a kids Return & Reunion workshop. The following is the information on these workshops. SPOUSES RETURN & REUNION; CLB 8 will host two Return & Reunion Workshops for spouses put on by Marine Corps Family Team Building in Bldg 40 on Camp LeJeune from 6:30pm - 8:00pm on July 14 and 10:00-11:00am and 1:002:00pm on August 6. This workshop is designed to explain, through interactive activities, what can be expected with homecoming and the reunion process. During the workshop tips are provided that will help spouses during this time. Topics covered include Communication, Deployment Stress, Re-Integration, Expectations and the Return of Intimacy. "PLEASE RSVP" as soon as possible but at least by July 11 for the July 14 class to henry.b.drake@usmc.mil or call me at 910 4506301. RSVP by July 31 for the August 6 brief. Free Child care will be provided for children between the ages of six weeks old and through 12 years of age. Child care will begin at 6:00pm and will end at approximately 8:30pm. The parents must call the CDC at (910 450-8467) to make their reservations as soon as possible but at least 72 hours in advance. KIDS RETURN & REUNION; CLB 8 will host a kids Return & Reunion workshop put on by Marine Corps Family Team Building Monday, 11 July 2011 in Bldg 40 on Camp LeJeune from 6:30pm - 8:00pm. This workshop is two workshops in one, a parents' and a children's workshop, parents on one side and children on the other. It's designed to offer the parents as well as the children resources and coping skills needed to assist them with family re integration. The parent's side of the work-shop focuses on the children's emotional and behavioral challenges as well as coping strategies and resources to utilize during the homecoming and re integration process. The children's side of the workshop provides the children activities and tools needed to cope with Family re integration and each child will also make a welcome home sign. "PLEASE RSVP" as soon as possible but, at least by Wednesday, 6 July 2011 to h <mailto:henry.b.drake@usmc.mil> enry.b.drake@usmc.mil or call me at 910 450-6301. I need to know how many children will be attending and their ages! Free Child care will be provided for children under 4 years old. Child care will begin at 6:00pm and will end at approximately 8:30pm. The parents must call the CDC at (910 450-8467) to make their reservations as soon as possible but at least 72 hours in advance. All children must be registered with Children, Youth, and Teen Programs (have a white card). Registration may be completed at the Resource & Referral Office, Bldg. LCH 4012 Butler Drive Midway Park (next to the Midway Park Chapel), (910) 449-9552 or 449-9563 Mon-Fri, 0800-1630. Bring child's shot records to register and a copy of the most recent medical physical, if available. I would encourage ALL of you to participate in these classes as there is a lot of good information being passed here!! Henry Drake CLB 8 FRO W 910 450-6301 BB 910 554-7914 Henry.b.drake@usmc.mil